May 31 ā¢ [ NUTRITION ]
š āļø Boost or Bust: The Role of Caffeine
Many of us appreciate the caffeine boost a cup of Joe blesses us with, but is it something we should be concerned about? And are energy drinks truly bad for us? For those like myself, that are rolling out of bed with pretty much coffee beans in hand diving towards the machineā¦. hold that thought and keep reading!
In todayās blog we are not only going to discuss those powerful prime energy drinks and coffeeās impact on performance. We are also going to explore your questions on decaf coffee and debunk the controversial topic of whether or not it contains caffeine any why individuals opt for it.
As a coach I get asked these questions all the timeā¦
Which caffeine is better health-wise: coffee or energy drinks? Do energy drinks or coffee help people focus more?
It is all going to depend on the total amount of caffeine included.
Both energy drinks and coffee will provide different amounts of caffeine. Caffeine if over consumed can make an individual experience an array of different negative side effect.
Coffee is generally pure and if consumed black it is going to be the most natural source of caffeine. And although there are plenty of negatives that come with energy drinks, ultimately as mentioned above, if we practise moderation, they can be perfectly fine for you.
As a coach I tend to stick to black coffee as there are far less additives and I enjoy the bitterness that a black coffee provides, especially while dieting as grehlin is generally released from anything sweet (our main hunger hormone). So even if your drink is sugar free or low calorie you may still get hungry directly after consuming a sweet beverage. When comparing these two products, ultimately both can be beneficial and both can be detrimental to our wellbeing. In order to utilise them to enhance focus, it is first important to identify your tolerance where you are able to enjoy your beverage without any risk of feeling anxious our jittery. This is a great indictor to ensure that you are boosting your mental and physical performance without jeopardising your health.
What about if we are talking specifically about athletes and energy? Can energy drinks improve sports performance? And what about coffee? Is coffee bad for athletes?
Both coffee and energy drinks can help aid with performance as they both contain caffeine.
However, energy drinks unlike coffee also contain taurine and a variety of amino acids that have demonstrated their value when it comes to improving performance, therefore it may be more advantageous to grab a monster energy drink over a long black if you are an athlete looking to progress.
Are energy drinks a poor choice for a morning beverage? And is caffeine in the morning a poor choice in general?
While coffee is generally on the mind first thing in the morning, we need to delay our caffeine consumption for at least 90-120mins upon waking. We have a neurochemical called adenosine and without going into too much depth we need to allow the adenosine to flush out of our system before we start adding in caffeine to our blood stream.
Okay and What happens if you drink 5 energy drinks in one day? And Can energy drinks replace coffee?
Just like we touched on earlier, energy drinks contain caffeine and generally speaking A LOT of caffeine. Therefore, consuming 5 C4 energy drinks or 5 ghost energy drinks is excessive and will more than likely contain too much caffeine, too much sugar or sugar alcohols and it will leave you broke as I havenāt yet mentioned these drinks are not cheap!
They can replace coffee but they will come with more additives and sugar/sugar alcohols.
Letās talk about decaf before we summarise todays blog into one paragraph.
Is decaf coffee just for taste, or are there benefits to it? And Why does decaf still feel like it has caffeine in it?
I can speak first hand and let you all know I love decaf coffee and everything that itās about.
For myself and I am sure many others, towards the latter half of the day it can be a struggle to find the motivation or energy to perform at an optimal rate. And while caffeine has aided earlier on in the day, if consumed within 8 hours of our night routine we risk disrupting our sleep and circadian rhythm.
This is where decaf shines. Decaf can be utilised as a placebo energy booster to hammer home those last few tasks we need to get done without impacting our natural body clock.
Sure, it isnāt completely caffeine free but most beans are claimed to be 95% or more caffeine free, which for me is low enough to enjoy that extra cup.
Completely removing caffeine from coffee beans is not possible when undergoing the decaffeination process and would induce an undrinkable taste. As the amount of caffeine is so low and we arenāt drinking 5 cups (well we shouldnāt be), Decafs impact really isnāt anything to worry about.
Itās worth noting as that you can get a decaf from most places, even Coles decaf and Woolworths decaf, but personally my heart lies with Gabrielās decaf and they will ship this decaf straight to your door step.
So, to come full circle, caffeine dosage is what really matters not the tool in which we consume it. Your best breakfast is not a cup of coffee. At breakfast point consume nutritious food to fuel your day, delay your caffein hit for that extra energy boost and utilise decaf coffee in the afternoon. And if V energy drink, oxyshred energy drink or musashi energy drink is more your style, the same rule applies with delaying your intake and monitoring your consumption!
Lachy Sawtell
10
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š āļø Boost or Bust: The Role of Caffeine
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